The Vitamin D Debate

FROM MEDSTAR: If you're getting your Vitamin D level tested, prepare to be humbled - most of us are deficient. And the bad news doesn't end there. Bonnie Everhart has done her homework and wants to know if Vitamin D deficiency has affected her family's health history. Bonnie Everhart said,"My grandmother had a history of osteoporosis and my mother has a history of breast cancer."

It's a valid concern, as more research points to chronic health problems related to low vitamin D. Dr. Roberta Lee said,"Those populations that have Vitamin D deficiency actually have higher rates of these kinds of cancers, like breast cancer and prostate cancer." And there's more. Studies link Vitamin D to a range of conditions, from multiple sclerosis and diabetes to heart disease and high blood pressure.

Inadequate "D" can even start haunting you in the womb. Dr. Roberta Lee said,"Pregnant women who are Vitamin D deficient, especially in their late trimesters, have been shown nine years later to have children who have very low bone density."

But why are we all so low? It's partly due to geography. People in northern latitudes don't get enough sunlight to produce Vitamin D for at least a-third of the year. Add in cloud-cover, sunblock, and indoor work and you've lost many opportunities to make the sunshine vitamin. It's all the more reason to get tested.


Dr. Roberta lee said,"Ask your doctor to measure the 25 hydroxy Vitamin D level. That's the active d3 level. That's the one you want to find the answer to. If it's under the number of 20 nanograms per milliliter, then you are in a deficient zone."


While you can get Vitamin D from some foods like wild salmon and fortified milk, it isn't always enough. Dr. Roberta Lee said,"In truth, it's hard to eat enough foods if you're in a deficient state to actually make up for the loss." To bring your levels up, Dr. Lee says supplements are your best bet.


"Most of the time for an adult, somewhere between 1,000 to 2,000 international units on a daily basis of vitamin d3 is enough to have adequate replacement."But work with your doctor to boost your "D" because there's truth to the saying, "too much of a good thing." Dr. Roberta Lee said,"Vitamin D is fat soluble, so that means that it can accumulate in your body and it isn't regularly excreted, so you can become Vitamin D toxic."


That's why Bonnie's going to get hers checked. Bonnie Everhart said,"She just concluded that it's really important for us to know what my Vitamin D level, and if it's, you know, to work with it, whether I need supplements or I can cut down." A test that will shed light on the level of her sunshine vitamin.


Since Vitamin D is naturally produced by exposure to sunlight, the question is: why not just get out in the sun? If you live in a sunnier climate, 10 to 15 minutes of sun on your bare legs and arms, once a day, is probably going to give you enough u-v exposure to produce Vitamin D. but, this isn't a free pass to skip sunscreen - slather it on after your brief sun allotment is up.


FAST FACTS:
Currently, health experts say adults 19 to 50 should get 200 IU of vitamin D every day.
Vitamin D may play a role in many different conditions, like heart attacks, diabetes, multiple sclerosis and cancer.
Doctors may recommend a blood test to measure your 25-hydroxyvitamin D level.


I am sad to say I still haven't gotten the Vitamin D supplements I planned to get for my kids! I am wondering if D3 comes in a chewable form or liquid. And where in the world do I get it? Naturally Yours? Preckshots? Order it over the Internet? Not sure-but I need to find out A.S.A.P. On second thought, maybe I should get the kids tested. I have no idea how much they are getting from milk, cheese and other sources. Hmmm...

-NewsAnchorMom Jen